Paper-folder.



L. A. NICHOLS.

PAPER FOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.10,1909.

946,898 Patented Jan, 1 1, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. INVENTOR Q WM L. A. NICHOLS.

PAPER FOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10,1909.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lllf mlmislm INVENTOI? \Amvu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' LEWIS A. monons, or cn'rca'so, ILLINOIS.

PAPER-FOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '11, 1910.

Application filed March 10, 1909. Serial No. 482,499.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs A. N1c11or.s,.a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Paper-Folders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for folding paper zig-zag.

. It consistsv in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings :Fi re 1 is a side elevation of a machine em odying this invention. Fig. 2 is an opposite side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a partly sectional plan view of the entire machine, section being made at the line 33 on Fig. '1. 'Fig. 4t is a longitudinal vertical section at the line 4t on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section at the line 55 on Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of one, of the gear bearing plates or standards showing the position of the walls of the operating train. Fig. 7 is a section at the line 7-7 on Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a transverse section of a blade-receiving strip of a modified form.

The machine shown in the drawings com-- prises a pair of rolls, 1, ,1, mounted one above the other, and connected by intermeshing gears, 2, 2, on their shafts respectively, each of said rolls being provided with one or more'longitudinal creasing or folding blades, 3, and an equal number, one or more,longitudinal blade-receiving strips, 4, preferably of material into which the creasing blades may sink slightly for creasing the paper, moderately soft rubber being suitable for this purpose. For the purpose of having these blades and receiving strips mounted in the rolls at a variety of positions for registration of each blade upon one roll with a corresponding strip on the opposite roll as they revolve synchronously, the rolls have longitudinal grooves, 5, at uniform intervals of thirty degrees in their circumference. For creasing or folding a paper strip, X, which may be fed between the rolls, at intervals equal to half the circumference of the rolls, each roll is provided with one blade, 3, and one blade-receiving strip, 4, inserted in proper groove to cause the blade upon one roll to roll as the rolls revolve.

circumference.

register with the strip upon the opposite For creasing or folding the paper strip at intervals equal to -,one-fourth the circumference of the rolls,

two blades and two strips will be mounted in each roll alternating with each. other at intervals of ninety degrees. For creasing or folding the paper strip at intervals equal to one-sixth of the circumference of the rolls, three blades and three yielding strips will be mounted in each roll alternating with each other at intervals of sixty degrees. Additional grooves maybe provided to any even number forffolding the strip at intervalsequal to any desired aliquot part of the As illustrated in the drawings, each roll is provided with two blades, 3, and two yielding strips, 4, arranged on the two rolls respectively, so that each blade on either roll registers with a yielding strip on the opposite roll -as they revolve, thus scoring or creasing or inwardly folding the paper strip, X, alternately in opposite directions as it is fed through between the rolls ers each consist of a blade pivotally mounted on a crank Wrist, 8,v of a crank shaft, 9,

journaled in the'frame of the machine, two such crank shafts with their cranks and tuckersbeingprovided, one above and the other below thepath of the paper strip as it issues from the rolls, such crank shafts being synchronously rotated in opposite directions and eachin the same direction as the roll at the same side of the paper, so that the crank wristand the tucker blades thereon move onward from the rolls at the portion of the path of their travel which is on the side of the crank shaft toward the paper. Each of the tuckers, 7, has rigid with it a controlling arm, 10, substantially at right angles to the tucker, and these controlling arms 'or pitmen,for they are such 1 side 0 flat paper which is to be folded, and to form stood clearly from Figs. 3

secured to the standards and extending in both directions therefrom, said side bars, B, servin to support a table, 0, at the entering the rolls for receiving sheets of the together with a bottom plank, D, beyond the rolls in the direction of feed a lane or channel in which the folded paper isaccumulated, as may be clearly seenin Figs. 1 and 3. In this lane or channel there is mounted a sliding bracket, E, Whose upright face board, E serves as a backing against which the pile of folded strips may be accumulated. This bracket may be suflicient-ly heavy and closely fitted to the channel so that it will slide therealong under such pressure as the tuckers, 7, are adapted to apply to it or to the paper accumulated in front of it; and it is designed at the commencement of the work to be moved up in the channel close enough to properly stop the first fold of the paper which may be led up against it by the tuckers. As additional folds are accumulated, it will yield back along the channel.

There are preferably provided four .cranks on each shaft, as illustrated, in two pairs 180 degrees apart, and in order to inwardly support the paper as it issues from between the rolls, the bottom plank, D, of the paper lane is extended in tongues, D between the two intermediate cranks and outside the extreme cranks, as may be underand 4.

One of the side bars, B, at a position near the end of the frame remote from the rolls, room enough forth e slide bracket being allowed beyond it, so that when a proper quantity of folded paper has been accumulated, it may be withdrawn through this opening, a sliding panel, B being provided to close the opening when desired. This panel, B mounted in suitable slideways, b on the outside of the bar, B, is preferably fitted closely enough in its slide-ways to serve the purpose of holding compressed an end of the bundle of the paper protruded, as seen in Fig. 3, while it is tied as illustrated in that figure.

To give proper frictional grasp upon the paper as it passes between the two rolls, the bearings, 12, of the upper roll are mounted for sliding movement on tne standard plates, A, through which said upper roll shaft extends in vertically elongated apertures, 3 in said standards res ectively, shown in one of them in Fig. 7. aid bearings, 12, are connected by a cross bar, 13, spring-pressed downwardly by springs, lat, 14:, stopped by adjusting screws, 15, 15, in the cross bar, 16, which connects the upper ends of the standard, 3. The table, C, may be provided with any suitable pa er gage, and such gage is represented at 6.

will i evident-that the crank shafts, 9, mustone-haif a revolution each purpose, the gearin B,"has an opening,

ceases crease or fold of the paper, and that means must be provided for changing their rotary speed with respect to the rolls, 1, 1, whenever the number of blades and blade-receiving strips in those rolls is changed for changing the length .of the fold. For this train is constructed, as illustrated, as fol ows: Upon the shafts, 1*, of the rolls, 1, 1, at one end, there are interchangeably mounted equal which mesh with equal and intermeshing gears, 17, 17, journaled on stud axles 17*,

mounted on the standard the oblique slots 3"; and these equal gears, 17, mesh respectively with equal gears, 18, 18, on the crank shafts, 9, 9, respectively. By providing suitable sets of gears interchangeable with each other, and having the several gears, 16, 17 and 18, differently proportioned to each other, any ratio of speed desired between the rolls, 1, and the crank shafts can be obtained in a manner which will be understood by a mechanic without further illustration.

It should be understood that the strips, 4, if not made of yielding material, will be recessed longitudinally to receive the blades, 3, as shown in Fig. 8, which may be under: stood as representing a wooden strip.

I claim 1. In a paper-folding machine, in combination with a pair of rolls, each provided with a pair of protruding blades and bladereceiving strips alternating. with each other at equal distances in the circumference of the rolls; gears connecting said rolls for revolving them in opposite directions, the blades and blade-receiving strips on the two rolls being positioned for registration of each blade on either roll with a strip of the other roll as the rolls revolve; crank shafts parallel to the rolls respectively at opposite sides of the meeting plane of the rolls and beyond the same in the direction of their rotation at the proximate sides; tuckers carried by the crank wrists of said crank shafts respectively; pitmen or controlling rods rigid with the tuckers extending onward therefrom in the direction of feed of the rolls, and guides for said pitinen positioned remotely from the rolls.

2. in a paper-folding machine, in combination with paper-creasing rolls having cooperating creasing blades and blade receiving strips; tuckers operating above and below the path of the paper as it is fed through the rolls; a fixed lane or channel into which the paper is fed; a yielding bracket sliding in such channel, one side of said channel having an aperture near its end remote from the rolls for the removal of the accumulated folded paper, a slide gate for closing said aperture adapted to and adjustable in compact and hold compacted a imhdle of paper partly protruded therethrongh.

gears, 16,16,

3. In a paper-folding machine, in combination with a pair of rolls having each an even numbered multiplicity of longitudinal grooves equally spaced from each other and equally spaced on the two rolls; creasing blades and blade-receiving strips mounted in such grooves, the rolls being mounted for registration of each blade on each roll with a bladereceiving strip on the other roll as the rolls revolve; crank shafts parallel With the roll axes respectively; tuckers carried by the crank wrists of said crank shafts; gear trains connecting said rolls and crank shafts for rotating each crank shaft in the same direaction as the roll located at the same side of the meeting plane of the rolls, said gear trains being constructed for giving each crank shaft as many revolutions in each revolution of the rolls as there are blades on either roll, such gear trains being interchangeable for' varying the speed of rotation of the crank shafts according to the number of blades.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago Illinois, this 4th day of March, 1909.

LEWIS A. NICHOLS.

Vitnesses M. GERTRUDE ADY, JULIA S. ABBo'r'r. 

